The County Executive leads the Executive branch of government, and as such has authority over the budget and operations for all county departments. However some departments are led by elected officials, each of whom were elected by the voters of Whatcom County and who have responsibility for their respective division (Assessor, Auditor, Prosecutor, Treasurer and Sheriff).

Whatcom County contracts with the Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) for animal control services. WHS is located at 2172 Division Street, Bellingham, WA 98226. They are open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday and Monday, 11:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. They can be reached at (360) 733-2080.